Judge pleads not guilty to flashing

Updated 16.54 Thu Mar 08 2007

Keywords: exposure, Judge

One of Britain's most senior judges has pleaded not guilty to two counts of exposure.

Lord Justice Richards appeared at City of Westminster Magistrates' Court in central London to answer charges relating to two alleged incidents on trains in south west London in October last year.

He is charged with two counts of "intentionally exposing his genitals intending that someone would see them and would be caused alarm or distressed"

It is claimed Sir Stephen Richards exposed himself to a woman on two different occasions on a train between Wimbledon and Waterloo on October 16 and 24.

In a 10-minute hearing Sir Stephen, a 56-year-old married father of three from Wimbledon, south west London, spoke only to confirm his name and enter his plea.

He is charged with two counts of "intentionally exposing his genitals intending that someone would see them and would be caused alarm or distressed."

A two-day trial will be heard at City of Westminster Magistrates' Court, beginning on June 11.

Sir Stephen was given unconditional bail until that date.

The judge has overseen a number of high profile hearings and in January ruled in a High Court case brought by the family of Jean Charles de Menezes, a Brazilian gunned down by armed police who mistook him for a suicide bomber.

Sir Stephen married wife Lucy in 1976 and has two sons and a daughter.